Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The government will firstly develop the terms of reference and the membership of the commission. Once the government have undertaken the appropriate consultation and settled the terms of reference, we will submit these to the Governor-General pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902. As the Prime Minister has indicated, we anticipate that the commission will start its public work early next year. Given the scale of the inquiry, it is likely that more than one commissioner will be required. The royal commission will need to determine how long it will need to take to conduct the full inquiry on the terms of reference. It will balance the need to ensure a thorough investigation with delivering timely results. It is likely that the royal commission will be asked to report back to the government early and regularly in their investigations, but we do want to ensure that, by early next year, the work has begun.